CROXATTO & OPAZO ARCHITECTS, NEGRILLA HOUSE

Designed by the Chilean studio Croxatto y Opazo Arquitectos, founded in 2010 by Felipe Croxatto Viviani and Nicolás Opazo Marchetti, Negrilla House is a holiday retreat located in Matanzas, Chile, approximately two and a half hours south of Santiago. Perched 50 meters above sea level, the house overlooks the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding coastal landscape.

The project responds directly to the site’s steep topography by occupying one edge of the terrain. A continuous linear foundation supports a lightweight timber structure, organizing the entire program along a single elongated volume. 

The living and dining areas are positioned at the northern end of the house, opening toward expansive views of the valley and the Pacific Ocean. The kitchen connects directly to an outdoor barbecue area and to a generous terrace located beneath the common spaces, both oriented toward the views of La Boca and Punta Perro. At its western end, the terrace gently rotates to frame the sunset and reinforce the relationship between the house and the landscape. The program includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms, connected through a sequence of both interior and exterior circulation paths. A continuous screen of vertical timber slats filters the intense western sunlight while providing privacy to the bedrooms.

A longitudinal section reveals a subtle shift in floor levels between the kitchen, dining area, and living room. By raising the living space, the project creates sufficient clearance beneath it to accommodate the outdoor barbecue terrace, strengthening the relationship between interior and exterior spaces. The house is entirely constructed in timber and protected with a black synthetic resin coating, providing durability against the harsh marine climate and constant exposure to salt-laden ocean winds.

Architect : Croxatto & Opazo Architects; Project Team: Nicolás Opazo, Felipe Croxatto, Martín Dellatorre, José Pablo O’Ryan; Contractor: Construction FCF; Landscape Architecture: Javiera Uribe; Structural Engineer: Luis Della Valle; Photography: Cristóbal Palma